Workers in Apple's Cork facility receive 9.25% pay rise 

Workers in Apple in Cork have received a pay rise of 9.25%, as the result of months of dispute between union representatives and the company, as well as the Labour Court weighing in on the pay row.

Apple has agreed to a pay increase of 4.25% for Cork workers backdated to 1 October 2021, which is in line with a recommendation from the Labour Court in July.

The Labour Court recommended that the 3% pay increase originally offered to 408 production operators at Apple’s Hollyhill manufacturing facility for this period should be increased by an additional 1.25%.

Apple has also agreed to a further pay increase of 5% backdated to the start of this month, meaning employees in Cork will benefit from a total pay rise of 9.25%.

On top of the pay rise, Cork workers will see their annual partnership payment, a yearly performance based bonus of €500, doubled to €1,000.

Apple have also committed to bridge the existing pay gap between those on permanent and long-term fixed contracts.

Currently, production operators who joined Apple Cork after 2015 earn approximately €2,000 per year less than those who signed their contracts before 2015. Apple has agreed to achieve pay parity between these workers by 2024.

The agreement was reached after two long days of negotiations with SIPTU union representatives and was accepted on 30 September.

Greg Ennis, SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, said that the union was happy that the pay dispute did not escalate to industrial action.

“We are delighted that we did not have to utilise industrial action at Apple in Cork, as we were able to come to an agreement in advance of that,” he said.

Mr Ennis said that not just in Apple in Cork, but for workers in many companies, the rising cost of living is leading to serious difficulties.

He said that SIPTU will “make no apologies” for taking industrial action in recent months to “get workers decent pay increases to combat the cost of living crisis”, such as in Bausch and Lomb in Waterford and in Kyte Powertech in Cavan.

“In other companies moving forward, we wouldn’t rule out industrial action, because workers need to get a fair share with regard to profits by way of decent pay increases, so that they can combat the cost of living crisis,” he said.